Turkish-made drones herald 'new way' in defense, says Hungarian minister

By Behlul Cetinkaya

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish-made drones have heralded a "new way" in defense, said Hungary's technology minister.

In a recent visit to the Turkish capital Ankara, Laszlo Palkovics met his Turkish counterpart Mustafa Varank to discuss bilateral cooperation in the field of industry and technology, especially in the defense sector.

"Hungary's army has already decided (to buy) Turkish military components," Palkovics said.

He said Hungary will seal the deal with one of Türkiye's leading armored personnel carrier manufacturers with the possibility to begin manufacturing in Hungary as well.

Türkiye has used its signature Bayraktar TB2 drone effectively over the years in cross-border, anti-terror military operations, such as Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, and Spring Shield, to liberate border areas in northern Syria from terrorist groups.

The drone can fly for 24 hours and boasts a 40,000-feet (12,192 meters) service ceiling, 20-meter (65-feet) wingspan, and a carrying capacity of 1,350 kilograms (2,976 pounds).

Touching on the railway deal signed between Türkiye, Serbia, Bulgaria and Hungary, Palkovics stressed that the agreement aims to increase the countries' share of railway trade between China and Europe.

Due to the war between Ukraine and Russia, the China-Europe railway route via Russia could reroute to Türkiye, he suggested.

"The train from China could cross Istanbul's Bosphorus tunnel to Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary in the center of Europe," Palkovics said.